Only Easy: Quick Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Ugly Frosting

By Misty I.

I like big bundts and I can not lie! Sorry, I couldn’t resist referencing Sir Mix-a-Lot’s 90’s classic.

All Hallows’ Eve is around the corner, you may want to consider making this easy bundt cake. When I say easy, I mean “cake mix” easy! Woohoo! I must warn you though, the frosting is a traditional cream cheese frosting. Meaning it DOES NOT prettily drip down the sides of this cake like those irritatingly perfect bundt cakes you see on Pinterest. Instead of obsessing about upping my frosting game, I simply choose to embrace this ugly frosting.

Quick Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Ugly Cream Cheese Frosting

NOTE: I usually make this with spice cake mix from a recipe in an old bundt cake cookbook. I didn’t have spice cake mix on hand the day I made it. I improvised with yellow cake mix and added spices I use to make pumpkin pies. If you make it with spice cake mix, omit the ginger and cloves listed (yes, you still add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.) Method is the same.

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix or spice cake mix
1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla pudding mix
½ tsp. ground ginger (only if using yellow cake mix)
¼ tsp. ground cloves (only if using yellow cake mix)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 eggs
½ C. vegetable oil
½ C. water
1 C. canned pumpkin

Frosting:
½ C. softened butter (1 block, salted)
1 8oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
2 C. powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease (I use Pam cooking spray) and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
Mix all of the ingredients together and beat for 2 minutes.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until cake tests done.
Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10-15 minutes.
Turn out onto serving platter to complete cooling.
Frost cooled cake with cream cheese frosting (optional)

Frosting:

Cream the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer for two minutes.
Sift powdered sugar and stir into the cream cheese/butter mixture.
Stir in vanilla extract.
Frost bundt cake.

Be careful around this cake! Don’t eat too many pieces or you may find yourself “playin’ workout tapes by Fonda” to get back into that holiday dress you love! That’s it, only easy!